Why We're Binging on Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

TGIF isn't the only reason we're excited for this weekend. Today, Netflix unleashed the whole first season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt into its stream-o-sphere, and we've got a binge lined up for all 13 half-hour episodes. A few weeks ago, we got to see a special preview of the first two installments with its three principal cast members during a Netflix preview at the Tribeca Grand Hotel in New York City, and we were immediately hooked. The show is an instant mood lifter, smile inducer and laugh maker—everything we want for our weekend entertainment.

Eric Liebowitz/Courtesy of Netflix

Ellie Kemper stars as the titular character, a woman who escapes an doomsday cult (she's an "Indiana Mole Woman") and moves to NYC on a whim after spotting a rat in a trash can post-Today show appearance (yep, a lot happens in the first five minutes). Armed only with a backpack, yellow cardigan, pink pants, and a wad of cash, she sets out to make a life in the big, bad city. She has the mindset of a good-girl teenager experiencing everything for the first time, but a sassy badass survival side, too. Out to find a job and an apartment, she becomes a nanny to an unbearable-but-sweet uptown socialite mom Mrs. Voorhees (Jane Krakowski) and moves in with aspirational Broadway star, Titus (Tituss Burgess).

Eric Liebowitz/Courtesy of Netflix

The fact that this show has its own personality, look, feel, and humor, is a real treat. That's thanks to its creators, Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, the hilarious power producing team behind 30 Rock (the show was originally supposed to air on NBC but moved to Netflix, and the cast said at the preview you'll see more raunchy material because of that). While the concept itself is fantastical in every way, it's grounded in some hilarious dialogue that is relatable. Nearly every line is a zinger, especially those that come from Mrs. Voorhees, as Krakowski knows how to embody a larger-than-life New York personality better than anyone.

For a dose of ridiculous optimism ("You can't break us," she belts out in the middle of Times Square), get off your Instagram feed and turn to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Watch a trailer for the show below and catch the whole first season on Netflix now. Luckily, the streaming channel is already planning to release a second season, so we'll have something to look forward to after The Great Weekend Binge.